Watch the highlights of England vs Sri Lanka 10th Match Reliance World Cup 1987 - Reliance World Cup 1987 tournament of the 10th ODI match played between Sri Lanka and England at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar in 17th October 1987.
Half-centuries from Graham Gooch, Mike Gatting and Allan Lamb sets up to England comprehensive 108-run victory over Sri Lanka in a one-sided game of the tenth match of a Reliance World Cup.
England scored 296-4 in 50 overs with top scorer by Graham Gooch struck 84 off 100-balls including 8-fours.
Allan Lamb hammered a 76 off 58-balls including 3-fours & 2-sixes with strike rate of 131.03, Mike Gatting scored 58 off 63-balls included 3-fours.
John Emburey hammered a unbeaten 30 off 19-balls including 3-fours & a six with strike rate of 157.89 and Chris Broad scored 28 off 60-balls included 2-fours.
Sri Lanka best bowler by Ravi Ratnayeke took 3-wickets and one for Don Anurasiri - Rumesh Ratnayake.
Sri Lanka scored 158-8 in 45 overs with top scorer by Arjuna Ranatunga cracked a 40 off 67-balls including 4-fours.
Ranjan Madugalle scored 30 off 49-balls including 3-fours, Rumesh Ratnayake 14 not out and Duleep Mendis 14.
England best bowler by John Emburey, Eddie Hemmings both took 2-wickets and one for Derek Pringle - Phil DeFreitas.
This match reported by Tony Lewis (Third Party Reference from Sunday Telegraph / The Daily Telegraph)
ENGLAND today achieved a mighty win over Sri Lanka. It was just what Mike Gatting's side needed, because if, at the end of the qualifying matches they are tied with Pakistan or West Indies, it would come down to run-rate.
Their 296 for four off 50 overs was well beyond Sri Lanka. Even after a 35-minute spell of bad light reduced Sri Lanka's innings to 45 overs, the target was no more inviting and England officially won on run rate, Sri Lanka falling 108 runs behind at 158 for eight.
Most pleasing for England, this strong performance came by design and has put the team in optimistic mood for the important match against Pakistan at Karachi on Tuesday.
The success began with selection of the side. England were very conscious of their errors in the last match against Pakistan at Rawalpindi. In particular, they were concerned that the combination at the crease of Robinson and Broad was not aggressive enough for a 50-over match.
Another penny had dropped, too, that John Emburey, for all his stiff batting style and lack of back-lift, is a most inventive run-getter when he has to be, so he was moved up the order.
As for the bowling, this looks well organised, but Foster who had hurt his knee while racing through a muddy stretch of the Rawalpindi outfield, decided to rest it further. Eddie Hemmings was given his first game of the competition and did well.
The controversial decision Iwas that of including Pringle, but leaving him out means altering Gatting's initial idea of making Pringle's bowling the key-stone of England's bowling effort.
The problem may be how to keep Pringle's confidence high enough to do a tough job. There is some high-class batting about in this competition and feeble hearts need not apply.
This time Pringle was nursed gently through four overs, all tidy enough and producing a wicket. Batting-wise, England thundered ahead, never committing the sin of losing two wickets at a time. Thus the partnerships rolled up-89 between Gooch and Broad, 53 off 55 balls between Gooch and Gatting, 76 off 71 balls by Gatting and Lamb and then 69 in only five overs between man-of-the match Lamb and Emburey.
It was all too much for Sri Larka who have a batting line-up studded with bright young talent, but who never got in any position to attack the big target. They might just as well have been trying to climb the distant Himalayas without a base camp, because at 37 for 3 in the 14th over, the match was effectively over.
The only scare for England after that came from the weather, but Gatting had the answer by introducing spinners Emburey and Hemmings with Sri Lanka's innings just nine overs old.
"We had to get through 25 overs for the result to stand and they did that job very quickly." said England's captain.
:
